Difference between revisions of "Comparing the two "zuo""

 
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做 (zuò) and 作 (zuò) are both verbs that can be easily confused because both mean “to do” and are pronounced identically. While these both mean “to do,” the use of these two words is different and rarely interchangeable. 做 is used very commonly in both in both informal and formal contexts, whereas 作 is used only in specific formal situations.  
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做 (zuò) and 作 (zuò) are both verbs that can be easily confused because both mean “to do” and are pronounced identically (both fourth tone). While these both mean “to do,” the use of these two words is different and rarely interchangeable. 做 is used very commonly both in informal and formal contexts, whereas 作 is used only in specific formal situations.  
  
{{SimilarWordsCol1|做|zuò|to do (work with your hands), to make (food, friends)|verb|flexible}}
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{{SimilarWordsCol1|做|zuò|to do (work), to make (food, friends)|verb|flexible}}
{{SimilarWordsCol2|作|zuò|to do (mental or abstract undertakings)|verb|formal}}
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{{SimilarWordsCol2|作|zuò|(mostly for parts of other words)|verb|formal}}
 
{{SimilarWordsPageInfo|B1|HSK4|ASV4567}}
 
{{SimilarWordsPageInfo|B1|HSK4|ASV4567}}
 
{{2021-HSK|HSK2}}
 
{{2021-HSK|HSK2}}
  
== Use 做 "to do" work with your hands or "to make" things ==
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== Use 做 "to do" work or "to make" things ==
  
 
=== Common Phrases ===
 
=== Common Phrases ===
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<div class="liju dapei">
 
<div class="liju dapei">
* 做 饭
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* 做 饭 <span class="pinyin">zuò  fàn</span><span class="trans">to cook</span>
* 做 作业
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* 做 生意 <span class="pinyin">zuò shēngyi</span><span class="trans">to do business</span>
* 做 运动
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* 做 运动 <span class="pinyin">zuò yùndòng</span><span class="trans">to do sports</span>
* 做 工作
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* 做 工作 <span class="pinyin">zuò gōngzuò</span><span class="trans">to do work</span>
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
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<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
* 我不常点外卖,经常自己做饭。
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* 我 不常 点 外卖,经常 自己 <em>做</em> <strong>饭</strong>。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒ bù cháng diǎn wàimài, jīngcháng zìjǐ <em> zuò </em> <strong> fàn </strong>.</span><span class="trans">I don't order take-out often and cook my own food a lot.</span>
* 今天的作业我做完了。
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* 今天 的 <strong>作业</strong> 我 <em>做</em> 完 了。 <span class="pinyin">Jīntiān de <strong> zuòyè </strong> wǒ <em> zuò </em> wán le.</span><span class="trans">I finished my homework today.</span>
* 做运动让人心情很愉快。
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* <em>做</em> <strong>运动</strong> 让 人 心情 很 好。 <span class="pinyin"><em>zuò</em> <strong>yùndòng</strong> ràng rén xīnqíng hěn hǎo.</span><span class="trans">Doing exercise makes you feel good.</span>
* 我今天做了一天工作。
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* 我 今天 <em>做</em> 了 一 天 <strong>工作</strong>。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒ jīntiān <em>zuò</em> le yī tiān <strong>gōngzuò</strong>.</span><span class="trans">Today I worked all day long.</span>
* 你平常喜欢做什么?
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* 你 平常 喜欢 <em>做</em> 什么? <span class="pinyin">Nǐ píngcháng xǐhuan <em>zuò</em> shénme?</span><span class="trans">What do you usually like to do?</span>
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
== Use 做 to say "make friends" ==
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== Use 做 for "to be" certain roles ==
 
 
做朋友 is one of the few common abstract uses of 做, where there's nothing physical actually being made.
 
 
 
<div class="liju">
 
* 例句
 
* 例句
 
* 例句
 
* 例句
 
* 例句
 
</div>
 
 
 
== Use 做 for “to be” certain roles ==
 
  
 
=== Common Phrases ===
 
=== Common Phrases ===
  
 
<div class="liju dapei">
 
<div class="liju dapei">
* 做妈妈
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* 做 朋友 <span class="pinyin">zuò péngyou</span><span class="trans">to be a friend</span>
* 做爸爸
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* 做 妈妈 <span class="pinyin">zuò māma</span><span class="trans">to be a mother</span>
* 做父亲
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* 做 老师 <span class="pinyin">zuò lǎoshī</span><span class="trans">to be a teacher</span>
* 做老师
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* 做 律师 <span class="pinyin">zuò lǜshī</span><span class="trans">to be a lawyer</span>
* 做演员
 
* 做客
 
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
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<div class="liju">
 
<div class="liju">
* 例句
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* 她 有 了 自己 的 孩子 ,她 <em>做</em> <strong>妈妈</strong> 了。 <span class="pinyin">Tā yǒu le zìjǐ de háizi, tā <em>zuò</em> <strong>māma</strong> le.</span><span class="trans">She's got her own kid. She's a mom now.</span>
* 例句
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* 他 <em>做</em> 了 十 年 <strong>老师</strong> 了。 <span class="pinyin">Tā <em>zuò</em> le shí nián <strong>lǎoshī</strong> le.</span><span class="trans">He's been a teacher for ten years.</span>
* 例句
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* 我的 朋友 是 <em>做</em> <strong>律师</strong> 的。 <span class="pinyin">Wǒ de péngyou shì <em>zuò</em> <strong>lǜshī</strong> de.</span><span class="trans">My friend is a lawyer.</span>
* 例句
 
* 例句
 
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
== Use 作 "to do" a thought-out or abstract undertaking ==
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== Use 作 only as parts of other words ==
  
=== Common Phrases ===
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=== 作 as a standalone word used to be more common ===
  
In the following examples only can be used. You'll notice that these are not super-common phrases.
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It's true that was once more commonly used instead of 做. You might see stuff like this:
  
 
<div class="liju dapei">
 
<div class="liju dapei">
* 作报告
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* 作 报告<span class="pinyin">zuò bàogào</span><span class="trans">to make a report</span>
* 作奋斗
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* 作 测试<span class="pinyin">zuò cèshì</span><span class="trans">to take a test</span>
</div>
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* 作 比较<span class="pinyin">zuò bǐjiào</span><span class="trans">to make comparisons</span>
 
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* 作 回应<span class="pinyin">zuò huíyìng</span><span class="trans">to respond</span>
=== Example Sentences ===
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* 作 演讲<span class="pinyin">zuò yǎnjiǎng</span><span class="trans">to make a presentation</span>
 
 
<div class="liju">
 
* 例句
 
* 例句
 
* 例句
 
* 例句
 
* 例句
 
 
</div>
 
</div>
  
=== Notable Exceptions ===
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But nowadays 做 is preferred for all of these uses. You might see 作, but you don't need to use it yourself.
 
 
Note that the following phrases may seem abstract, but ''do not'' use 作; they can only use 做:
 
 
 
<div class="liju dapei">
 
* 做作业
 
* 做生意
 
</div>
 
  
== 作 is also used in some common nouns ==
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=== 作 is most commonly seen as part of other words ===
  
is also commonly used as part of some words, but it's not a verb in these cases:
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In the following examples only can be used, but it's not a standalone word here, it's simply a building block (called a morpheme in linguistics).
  
 
<div class="liju dapei">
 
<div class="liju dapei">
* 作者
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* 工作 <span class="pinyin">gōngzuò </span><span class="trans">work</span>
* 作文
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* 作业<span class="pinyin">zuòyè</span><span class="trans">assignments</span>
</div>
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* 作文<span class="pinyin">zuòwén</span><span class="trans">essay</span>
 
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* 作者<span class="pinyin">zuòzhě</span><span class="trans">writer</span>
== 作 can also be an adjective meaning "high maintenance" ==
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* 作弊<span class="pinyin">zuòbì</span><span class="trans">to cheat</span>
 
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* 作案<span class="pinyin">zuò'àn</span><span class="trans">to commit a crime</span>
In this case, 作 is pronounced "zuō."
 
 
 
<div class="liju">
 
* 例句
 
* 例句
 
* 例句
 
* 例句
 
* 例句
 
 
</div>
 
</div>
  

Latest revision as of 08:17, 6 May 2022

做 (zuò) and 作 (zuò) are both verbs that can be easily confused because both mean “to do” and are pronounced identically (both fourth tone). While these both mean “to do,” the use of these two words is different and rarely interchangeable. 做 is used very commonly both in informal and formal contexts, whereas 作 is used only in specific formal situations.











B1HSK4ASV4567
做 (zuò) 作 (zuò)
Meaning to do (work), to make (food, friends) (mostly for parts of other words)
Part of Speech verb verb
Formality flexible formal

Use 做 "to do" work or "to make" things

Common Phrases

In the following examples only 做 can be used.

  • 做 饭 zuò fànto cook
  • 做 生意 zuò shēngyito do business
  • 做 运动 zuò yùndòngto do sports
  • 做 工作 zuò gōngzuòto do work

Example Sentences

  • 我 不常 点 外卖,经常 自己 Wǒ bù cháng diǎn wàimài, jīngcháng zìjǐ zuò fàn .I don't order take-out often and cook my own food a lot.
  • 今天 的 作业 完 了。 Jīntiān de zuòyè zuò wán le.I finished my homework today.
  • 运动 让 人 心情 很 好。 zuò yùndòng ràng rén xīnqíng hěn hǎo.Doing exercise makes you feel good.
  • 我 今天 了 一 天 工作Wǒ jīntiān zuò le yī tiān gōngzuò.Today I worked all day long.
  • 你 平常 喜欢 什么? Nǐ píngcháng xǐhuan zuò shénme?What do you usually like to do?

Use 做 for "to be" certain roles

Common Phrases

  • 做 朋友 zuò péngyouto be a friend
  • 做 妈妈 zuò māmato be a mother
  • 做 老师 zuò lǎoshīto be a teacher
  • 做 律师 zuò lǜshīto be a lawyer

Example Sentences

  • 她 有 了 自己 的 孩子 ,她 妈妈 了。 Tā yǒu le zìjǐ de háizi, tā zuò māma le.She's got her own kid. She's a mom now.
  • 了 十 年 老师 了。 zuò le shí nián lǎoshī le.He's been a teacher for ten years.
  • 我的 朋友 是 律师 的。 Wǒ de péngyou shì zuò lǜshī de.My friend is a lawyer.

Use 作 only as parts of other words

作 as a standalone word used to be more common

It's true that 作 was once more commonly used instead of 做. You might see stuff like this:

  • 作 报告zuò bàogàoto make a report
  • 作 测试zuò cèshìto take a test
  • 作 比较zuò bǐjiàoto make comparisons
  • 作 回应zuò huíyìngto respond
  • 作 演讲zuò yǎnjiǎngto make a presentation

But nowadays 做 is preferred for all of these uses. You might see 作, but you don't need to use it yourself.

作 is most commonly seen as part of other words

In the following examples only 作 can be used, but it's not a standalone word here, it's simply a building block (called a morpheme in linguistics).

  • 工作 gōngzuò work
  • 作业zuòyèassignments
  • 作文zuòwénessay
  • 作者zuòzhěwriter
  • 作弊zuòbìto cheat
  • 作案zuò'ànto commit a crime

Sources and further reading

Websites